“Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment.”

 -Thomas Carlyle

 

Design with the Future in Mind

I was reading an on-going blog series about “Beth,” an active, 89 year old woman lives alone in her one level town home. She has lived alone for many years and has a good support network of family and friends from church. She is relatively healthy but deals with asthma.

The post is done by a colleague in the aging in place field, Alesha Churba at Design with the Future in Mind. What Alesha has done is put a human face on aging in place; and made the process accessible by doing so. The narrative is a delight to read as Alesha describes how Beth thinks through the process of making her beloved home accessible and safe to live in—I love this approach.

Self-Efficacy for Aging in Place

A theory that’s mentioned in the gerontological literature, as well as in other areas of inquiry, is “self-efficacy.” This is a very useful concept in describing what can happen as a side-effect of proactive change–the kind that Beth is making.

Self-efficacy simply means the belief that one has the capabilities to have a positive influence over their life; and can be measured on a continuum from low to high. Those with low don’t believe they can effect positive change; high levels equates to increased confidence to over come barriers in life.

For example, elderly with low-self-efficacy feel they have little control over the events in their lives—our culture has a way of infantilizing elders (not talking about Alzheimer’s here) with terms such as “senior-proof” and “elder-proof,” and learned helplessness is the outcome of cultural conditioning.

On the other hand, elders with high-self-efficacy believe they can command some control in life and shape their destiny. The implications for this are wide reaching from open heart surgery recovery success, depression in the elderly, to who participates in exercise programs—and many other aspects of aging.

Momentum of Positive Change

The elderly exert control over fewer and fewer domains in their lives and the importance of self-efficacy cannot be understated. Beth has taken the first small steps to make her home accessible—what she has also done is moved further along towards the high end of the SE continuum.

This spills over to other aspects of life her life and can have a momentum of its own. Now if she wants to take that European vacation she’s been putting off for fear of going alone, she might join a group and go, sign up for a dance lesson, or go to the movies—she can draw on the increased belief in her ability to effect a positive change in life. This is reinforced every time she interacts with her aging-in-place home improvements; as she grows more empowered.

Beth is potentially every senior and the small aging-in-place steps made can change lives in unanticipated ways; increased self-efficacy is one not to be over-looked.

 

See

Design With The Future in Mind

Self-efficacy: The exercise of control By Albert Bandura

Aging in ACTION: 10 Senior Living Trends

Fear of Falling and Low Self-Efficacy: A Course of Dependency in Elderly  Persons

What Are Old People For?

More Research:

Journal of Aging and Health: Self-Efficacy as a Mediator Between Fear of Falling and Functional Ability in the Elderly

The American Journal of Preventative Medicine: Intervention-related cognitive versus social mediators of exercise adherence in the elderly

Health locus of control and self-efficacy beliefs in a healthy elderly sample

(photo homecaregiverstore.com)

 

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